Olivier a carpenter who teaches his craft to teenagers become obsessed with a new student Francis. The reason for his obsession soon becomes apparent - Francis murdered Olivier's son many years earlier...
This understated French drama about human emotions comes from the accomplished film-making brothers Jean-Pierre and Luc Dardenne, and looks at what a father might do if he was to meet the boy that killed his son. What Olivier does, however, is probably not the expected reaction. As a middle-aged carpenter, he trains up young teenage boys, teaching the skills and knowledge they need to enter into the business. One boy who turns up at his workplace happens to be his son's killer, newly released from juvenile detention, who wants to get an apprenticeship in carpentry. First puzzled at what to do, Olivier accepts and befriends the boy, though never stepping away from his coldly unemotional way of talking. There's also the intrusive but effective handheld camera. The film has the appearance of having been filmed with a handheld camera. Now, don't panic here, this isn't an intelligent version of Cloverfield. There is another very sea-sickening or erratically wobbly about the film technique. Just the slightly moving way of filming used in "The Son" helps us place this more within our own reality, and, as I said, manages to intrude on the characters as they go about their business. Although some parts, and even the entire film, could be accused of being mundane, I must stress how riveting this film is. By sensible direction and a sensitive script this film is an opportunity to enjoy some of the best of foreign film making.
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The story of Francis (Morga Marinne) who arrives at a rehabiltation school and discovers a somewhat ambiguous relationship with his teacher (Olivier Gourmet). The two seem inexplicably drawn together until the eventual revelation of a terrible secret from the past.
Please note this is a region 2 DVD and will require a region 2 or region free DVD player in order to play. In their first film since the Palme d?Or-winning Rosetta, brothers Jean-Pierre and Luc Dardenne present a subtle and disquieting study of a man whose life has been devastated by tragedy. Olivier Gourmet won the Best Actor Award at Cannes for his masterfully understated portrayal of a carpenter who teaches teenagers at a rehabilitation school. He is disturbed by the arrival of a new student, Francis (Morgan Marinne), and he struggles to maintain a professional distance in the boy?s presence. An ambiguous relationship develops between the two until the eventual revelation of a terrible secret from the past that binds them together. Utilising their trademark pared-down visual aesthetic to great effect, the Dardennes have crafted a riveting, strikingly powerful film of profound emotional and moral complexity. Actors: Olivier Gourmet, Morgan Marinne, Isabella SoupartDirectors: Luc Dardenne, Jean-Pierre DardenneWriters: Luc Dardenne, Jean-Pierre DardenneProducers: Luc Dardenne, Jean-Pierre DardenneFormat: PALLanguage: FrenchSubtitles: English, Dutch, ItalianDubbed: ItalianRegion: All RegionsNumber of discs: 2
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